Method of making frozen food products



Oct. 31 1950 A. J. TACCHELLA METHOD OF MAKING FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS Filed Feb.- 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Oct. 31, 1950 A. J. TAccHELLA 2,527,894

METHOD OF MAKING FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS Filed Feb. 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 27/ wax 1950 A. J. TACCHELLA 2,52

METHOD OF MAKING FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS Filed Feb. 4, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 5 A/II/ Ill/III/IYILI w m l l/l/l/I/ INVENTOR. WMzeza JfaEc/ZeZkz ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1950 METHOD OF MAKING FROZEN FOO PRODUCTS Andrew J. Tacchella, Portland, reg., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Steady-Flow Freezer (30., Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Oregon Application February 4, 1947, Serial No. 726,296 1 Claim. (01. 62174) This invention is directed to a method of continuously producing a frozen product in the nature of an ice cream or like product for dispensing the frozen product as desired, and automatically compensating for the quantity of 5 frozen product delivered by the introduction of the mix from which the frozen product is made at a time and in a quantity to compensate for the frozen product delivered.

The method also involves the automatic control of the delivery of the mix to the influence of a refrigerating agent to convert the mix into a frozen product for use with the quantity of mix delivered automatically determined both as regards the quantity of mix to be delivered and the time of that delivery to the influence.

of the refrigerating agent.

The method is also directed to insuring that the mix delivered to the influence of the refrigerating agent will be retarded with respect to the influence of the refrigerating agentin order that a proper preparation of the mix for final refrigeration can be obtained.

In carrying out the method the mix is maintained in indeterminate quantity for delive y to the influence of the refrigerating agent by which the mix is finall frozen for delivery as a usable frozen product, with the frozen product delivered for use at will and in turn providing for the automatic delivery of the mix from 1 the indeterminate quantity to supply "to the influence of the refrigerating agent a quantity of mix which will fully and completely compensate for the delivery of the frozen product for use in order that there may be a continuous provision of material which under the influence of the refrigerating agent will continuously supply a frozen product at will. The mix from the indeterminate quantity is automatically controlled in its delivery to the influence of the re- 40 frigerating agent to a degree to permit at any M one delivery of such mix, a quantity thereof frigerating agent and delivered for use as -a frozen product.

The method is carried out by certain mechanical instrumentalities which are fully shown and described in my co-pending application filed April 6, 1945, Serial No. 586,967, now Patent No. 2,508,435, issued May 23, 1950, and to provide for m this 'sembly 2- mounted therein.

.mounted to and is revolved by the shaft Ii];

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my new and improved freezing machine, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is a front side perspective view of the assembled machine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the measuring valve in measuring position, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is the same as that of Figure3, illusitrating the valvein the dispensing position.

Figure -5 is a fragmentary plan detailed view of part of the operating mechanism, taken on line 5 -5 of Figure 1. v

' Figure'6 is a fragmentary detailed view of the foot operating and dash pot arrangement after thefoot pedal hasbeen depressed.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary detailed view of the upper end of the push rod actuating the shut off gate and having actuated the mix measuring valve.

My new and 'improvedfreezing machine consists of a cabinet], having a freezing drum asf V The freezing assembly or drum 2 consists of an inner cylinder 3 terminating ina flange 4, which is mounted to .-the front 5 of the cabinet l by; any suitable means. The drum assembly may be further supported by the supporting pedestal 6.

A motor 8 and speed reducing device 9 drives the'shaft H! which is journalled in a suitable bearing ll. Scraping blade assembly 1 is fixedly A beater rotor I2 is rotatably mounted on the shaft l0, and when shifted endwise of the shaft may be locked in engagement with the assembly lat l3'by' the dog l4. -This beater rotor can be thrown in and out of rotation by the knob I2 The usual freezing coils l5 surround the freezing cylinder 3 and have insulation l6 therearound. The coils l5 receive their refrigerant from; the freezing unit l'l, indicated in dotted position, by way of the connections l8. Thus far I have describedrthe well known freezer construction. My invention consists primarily of mounting a mix supply tank l9 within the upper part: of the cabinet If I have provided a special measuring valve assembly 20 between the supply tank [9 and the. mixing cylinder 3.. f I will now describe the measuring valve assembly 20, by referring to Figures 3 and 4. This valve assembly consists of acylinder 21, having a special piston22 working therein. A piston rod 23 extends through the stuffing box 24 and termijnates. in a suitable cross head 25. In Figure 3 it willbe noted that the piston does not coverthe port 26 leading from the tank l9 and is covering the port 21 leading to the freezing cylinder 3. The mix will flow into the piston 22 and the cylinder 2i while in this position, but when the piston is moved to the position shown in Figure 4 the port 25 will be=closed and the .port 21 opened, at the same time the piston 22 will forcibly eject the mix from the valve assembly into the freezing cylinder 3. I do not wish to be limited to this type of measuring device, but I'have illustrated this system to carry out the object of my invention and further the measuring assembly 2!] can be readily removed fromthe machineand cleaned. It is connected to the-tank i9 bythe well known gland nut 28 and to the mixing cylinder 3 by the nut 29. The cross head -works within the special yoke 30 of the operating mechanism, which will hereinafter be described. The piston 22 can be readily removed ,fromthe cylin der 2 [by removing the gland. nut 3i ;When themix. enters.the.1.freezing cylinder 3 by way of the port 32,.it is. desirable to retard its flow to the opposite end 'of the freezing cylinder. This is accomplished by the mixing paddles 33 being inclined ina direction as to force'themix to the rear oftheireezing cylinder 3, or to where it enters at 32. Theobjectbf courseis' toinsure a complete mi-xingvof .thebefore it reaches the discharge end ..of...the..mixing.and. freezing chamber. I donot wishtotbe limited-to.theme- ..chanical method which I have illustrated,.as 'other equivalents may be used so long. asit retards. the .sflow. forward ofthe. mix. .-..In-the design ofermy .-freezing chamber I. make the-length: of the same relatively long comparisonto its diameter to sinsure armore:.completermixing- .and freezin of *theproduct.

I.- have found in :the: dispensing-.ofcreams and the like that it is most desirable to have a. controlled :and-v measured dispensing of the. product, ..therefore I have provided a :mechanism forac- ..comrplishing the desired result. I-;-usethe-well known shutterror cutoff gate 35,.wl 1-ich-.is pivotally mounted at-35 and covers the discharge-open- ;ing" 31, indicated in dotted position; in Figure :2. Ordinarily' this shutter is opened" by'w'hand, but

I have provided'a means of operating this shutter by'the foot'of theioperator-andcontrolling the :duration of opening byamechanism that; 1 now describe. I

A foot pedal 38 is pivotally-mounted at :35 and I has a'lever .40 extendingzwithin: the cabinet. dash pct 41; having; a'apistonaworking fatherein 1 but not shown and havinga piston rod :42'pivotally mounted at '43 to the lever arm 44;:whichin turn is pivotally'mounted at-'45 tothe bracket arm 45 at its one end'and having'its other end resting on top of the lever arm 40 of the foot "pedal 38. When thefoot pedal is depressed it will raise the lever 44 by contacting the end 41, which also raises the .pistonwithin thedash' pot cylinder 4! taking air in through the'check'valve I48 into' the dash pot cylinder. When thelever "44 was raised it also contacted the end 49 ofthe push-rod 56, raising the rod50 through its'gu'ide 5i contacting the bell crank assembly 52, forcing the connecting rod 53 against the spring 54 towards the measuring valve assembly 20. The yoke 30, which forms :part of the rod 53, is also pushed in thedirectionof the arrow; forcing the measuringvalve piston 22 to the positon shown in'i'Figui-e 4,:dispensing a measured amount of mix into the cylinder 3. by way of the port 32ias heretofore described. When'the push rod 50'was I will ing rods 59 and 51. When the arm 54 was raised .-zabout its pivot point 45 a bell crank 80, forming part of the. arm..4,4, permitted the push rod 5! to. be forced totheleft by the spring 62, pivoting the-ratchet 63 about its center 64 allowing the 15 said ratchet to drop into the notch when the push rod" was raised, best illustrated in Figure 6.

When the push rod reached the position illustrated in Figure 7 it had allowed the bell crank assembly 52. to return to the position illustrated 20 in Figure 1, permitting the measuring valve assembly to be recharged ready for another cycle of operation, but. in the position shown in Figure 1 '7 the push rod-is holding the shutoff gate35in A dispensing position due to.the ratchet 63 engag- .ing the notchfiS. When the foot pedal 38=was released the. spring .55 began -.to :return the lever 44 to the starting positionas shown in Figure 1.

An adjustable. air relief-valve 5?. BJIOWSthBaplS- ton within:the: dash pot 4|. to -return to starting position atapredetermined rate. When'the bell crank- 6B ofthe arm Msagain contacts the end-of rthe push-rod fil. it willrdiseng-age the ratc-het 53, disengaging it from athe anotch Sa -allowing the :push rod to be returned td'starting--position-by the spring 68, therebymclosing the; gate- 35. :-The :period of time-thattl1e5g-ate35 is held-"open is'ide- -termined bythe. adjustment ofthe'relief valve 61 which controls ther-return movement of thesdash pot piston and: theoperationiof the. arm =44; which ucauses thereleaseiof. the puslr rod .5 l3: as'aheretofore described.

Referring to "Figure: 57Tth-b11f ClaIlk. assembly '52 consists of acrossishaftzfigihaving a cranknrm fixedlymountediifi'rereon to which the rod :53 is pivotallyconnected. On' the opposite endnf fthe shaft a "ratchetzarm 17 ii is looselyzmoun-ted to the shaft 59. The shaft having a pin 12 fixedly secured therein against which the shou1der-'l3 m of the ratchet engages in one direction. A spring -74 maintains the ratchet arm ll against'this pin except When' the end 15 of the push rod 58 must 'pass'the end of'therat'chet arm H on its return stroke-as shown in Figure- 1. At'this time the spring-"l4 allows"the-ratchet arm H; to revolve about the "shaft 69; permitting the point/T5 "to pass by the end of the ratch'et."The amount of mix permitted to enter the freezingchamber may be determined by the adjusting nut or-turnbuckle 16 being adjusted tochange 'the' length of the-rod 53, thereby the-stroke of the piston '22. When the machine-has been in operationit is easy for 'the operator to determine the adjustment of the "measure" valve admitting the proper amount of mix for replacing the product dispensed.

Referring to'the mix container "lfl this container is of such a design asto be easily cleaned, having rounded bottom-corners l1 and a transparent level indicating device 78 is located sothat 70 it can be observed through the opening 19 of the cabinet. A removable top 8ll'covers the mix container l9 together with the cabinet I. A lidlll is provided within the cover 80 giving-accessto the tank 19. 'I-also provide in the sideg-of; the

cabinet I a panel 82 providingac'cesstothe"in- 5 terior of the cabinet for making adjustments and for disassembling the parts for cleaning.

I will now describe the operation of the machine. The operator pushes down on the pedal 38 which operates the push rod 59 as heretofore described, opening the dispensing gate 35 operating the bell crank assembly 52, which operates the measuring valve assembly 20, forcing in a predetermined amount of mix into the freezing chamber simultaneously with the product that is being dispensed through the gate 35. The gate 35 being held in open position for a predetermined length of time when it will close automatically by the mechanism having just been described.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact mechanical combinations herein described, as other mechanical equivalents may be substituted still coming within the scope of my claim.

What I claim-as new is:

The method of producing and dispensing a frozen product such as ice cream, which method comprises providing a supply of mix suitable for conversion into the frozen product, providing a quantity of the frozen product under refrigeration, dispensing a measured amount of the frozen product for a predetermined period of time, conveying a measured amount of mix from said supply to said frozen product under refrigeration simultaneously with said dispensing and corre- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,926,061 Peterson et a1. Sept. 12, 1933 1,993,130 Ballew Mar. 5, 1935 2,211,387 Routh Aug. 1 3, I940 

